By Mark Heneghan MNAEA, Founder and Director of Bespoke Estate Agents · Published 28 September 2026 · Updated 28 September 2026
The short answer: Yes, in part. Maiden Erlegh’s last designated-area distance allocation reached 1.22 miles in 2026, so proximity can matter when places are oversubscribed. But homes near the school can also be older and more spacious, with larger plots and Maiden Erlegh Lake nearby. Sold-price differences cannot be attributed to schools alone.
Maiden Erlegh School’s last designated-area distance allocation reached 1.22 miles for 2026 entry, compared with 0.741 miles in 2022.
In 2026, the school received 850 preferences for 279 places.
Living in Maiden Erlegh’s designated area does not guarantee a place. Distance can decide between applicants within the same admissions category.
Kendrick School uses an entrance test and postcode-based priority areas. Living in a priority area does not guarantee a place.
Bespoke’s analysis of 874 recorded sales across RG6 3, RG6 4, RG6 5 and RG6 7 found considerable differences in median sold prices. The properties sold in those areas also differed.
Wokingham Borough Council publishes the distance of the last child allocated a place under Maiden Erlegh School’s designated-area distance criterion. Over the past five admission rounds, those distances were:
Year of entry | Distance of last allocation |
|---|---|
2022 | 0.741 miles |
2023 | 0.784 miles |
2024 | 0.844 miles |
2025 | 0.928 miles |
2026 | 1.22 miles |
Maiden Erlegh School’s last designated-area distance allocation, 2022 to 2026. The circles show straight-line distances, not catchment boundaries or guaranteed admission areas.
The 2026 distance was about 31% greater than in 2025 and 65% greater than in 2022. These are straight-line distances measured under the admissions arrangements, not walking distances.
In 2026, Maiden Erlegh received 850 preferences for 279 places, and 184 children were added to the waiting list on National Offer Day.
Living within Maiden Erlegh School’s designated area does not guarantee a place. There can be more applicants in the area than available places. When applicants fall within the same oversubscription category, the school uses straight-line distance from the child’s permanent home address to the school as a tie-breaker.
Two families may therefore both live within the designated area but have different prospects of receiving a place because one lives closer to the school.
The figures in the table show how far the last allocations under the ordinary designated-area distance criterion reached in those particular years. They do not create a permanent boundary. Applicant numbers, where families live, siblings and other admission priorities can change from one year to the next.
If a school is central to your move, check the admissions policy for the year your child would apply and seek guidance on the individual property address. A listing description or last year’s allocation distance cannot guarantee a future place.
Kendrick is a selective girls’ grammar school in Reading. Its admissions process uses an entrance test and a designated area divided into two priority areas.
For September 2027 entry, RG6 1, RG6 5, RG6 6 and RG6 7 are in Priority Area 1. RG6 3 and RG6 4 are in Priority Area 2. Living in either priority area does not secure a place. Applicants must meet the entrance requirements and rank highly enough under the school’s published admissions policy.
This is another reason a postcode can feature prominently in a family’s property search, even when the school itself is some distance away.
Bespoke’s analysis of HM Land Registry Price Paid Data covered 874 recorded sales across four RG6 postcode sectors between January 2024 and August 2026:
Postcode sector | Number of sales | Median sold price |
|---|---|---|
RG6 7 | 235 | £542,000 |
RG6 5 | 195 | £500,000 |
RG6 3 | 164 | £402,500 |
RG6 4 | 280 | £390,000 |
Total | 874 |
The difference between the highest and lowest sector medians is £152,000. The RG6 7 median was approximately 39% higher than the RG6 4 median.
That is a substantial difference, but it is not a measure of a school catchment premium. These figures compare all the homes recorded as sold in each sector. They do not compare otherwise identical properties with and without access to a particular school.
Some established streets close to Maiden Erlegh School are also close to Maiden Erlegh Lake and surrounding green space. Homes in these areas can be older and more spacious, with larger gardens and plots than properties in some later developments elsewhere in RG6. Extensions, condition, parking and the individual setting also affect value.
A family buying near the school may value all of those things together: the school, the lake, the neighbourhood and the space the home offers. Postcode-level sales figures cannot tell us how much of the price difference is attributable to each feature.
No. I would not add a set amount to a valuation simply because a home is in a particular postcode or close to a school.
School proximity can be an important selling point, particularly where distance has affected recent allocations. But a sound valuation still needs to consider the property’s size, layout, plot, condition and setting, alongside comparable completed sales and current buyer demand.
If you are buying with a school in mind, read the admissions policy for the relevant entry year. Check whether the specific property is within the designated area, how distance is measured and what recent allocations show. No previous allocation can guarantee a future place.
If you are selling, describe the home’s school access accurately, but present the whole picture. Spacious rooms, a generous garden, proximity to the lake and the character of an established neighbourhood may all be part of why buyers want to live there.
After more than 25 years living in Lower Earley and decades working in the Reading property market, my view is that schools shape where families want to live, and that demand can influence value. The right valuation looks at the whole home and its location, not just the school people associate with its address.
No. There may be more applicants within the designated area than available places. When applicants are compared within the same admissions category, the school uses straight-line distance as a tie-breaker.
Distance matters when applicants are being compared within the same oversubscription category. Other admission priorities apply, so proximity alone cannot guarantee an offer.
Kendrick’s designated area is defined by postcode and divided into two priority areas. Admission also depends on its entrance test and published criteria.
School demand can support buyer interest, but the differences between RG6 sector medians cannot be attributed to schools alone. Property size, age, condition, plot size and proximity to green space also influence prices.
That depends on your individual property, relevant comparable sales and the buyers active in today’s market. Book a personal property valuation with Bespoke Estate Agents.
Local Knowledge. Honest Advice.
About the author: Mark Heneghan MNAEA is the founder and director of Bespoke Estate Agents, an independent Reading estate agency. He has lived in Lower Earley for more than 25 years.
Sources: Wokingham Borough Council secondary school allocation information for 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026; Maiden Erlegh School admissions arrangements for 2026/27; Kendrick School admissions policy for September 2027; HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. The sold-price figures are medians from Bespoke’s postcode-sector analysis and reflect the mix of properties recorded as sold in each sector.
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